The Franciscans had been gradually reclaiming Christian
holy sites and seeking permission to rebuild them. This was difficult during
the Ottoman period, and the chapels were sombre, small and often built in a
hurry before the firman (the official permission)was changed. After the First World War
and the fall of the Turkish Empire, the situation changed completely and the
Custody of the Holy Land undertook an extensive programme to rebuild the
sanctuaries.

Initially the architects followed the plans of preceding structures for
their new projects, but this gave way to a new architectural dimension: the
sanctuaries were to reflect the "moods" and the "particular mysteries" they
represented and to protect archaeological finds. At this point Antonio
Barluzzi arrived on the scene and met Father Custos Ferdinando Diotallevi.

In his interview with
Diotallevi Barluzzi explained:-

"In Palestine every
holy place has a direct reference to a definite Mystery of the life of Jesus
Christ. It is only natural then to avoid the general type of architecture
which constantly repeats the same word and, instead shape the art so that
it expresses the feeling called forth by that Mystery. In this way, the
faithful entering a sanctuary will easily be able to reconstruct in their
own minds the Gospel story and to concentrate their meditation on thoughts appropriate to the
Mystery created there. Rather than choosing the art form first, and bend
everything else to suit it, I think it is more fitting to establish the
basic religious concept of the holy place for which the sanctuary is being
built and tailor the architecture to it."

Diotallevi agreed.

Concerning the
protection of archaeological finds the Department
of Antiquities of the British Mandate government, fearful that the ancient
stones on Mount Tabor would disappear, sent an inspector to examine the
plans together with the engineer Liberato Traversa and Fr Antonio Gassi,
guardian at Nazareth. He gave assurances that all the ruins would be
respected. While the excavations were open, the engineer Guilio Barluzzi,
Antonio's brother, sketched a very precise plan in which the Roman and
Crusader parts as well as the Arab structures stood out clearly.

As required by the new
brief the Basilica of the Transfiguration incorporates substantial remains
of earlier Byzantine and Crusader churches on the site. Here this led to a
split level basilican church with western towers incorporating the Byzantine
chapels to Moses and Elijah, (which St. Peter had wanted to build! ) and a
sanctuary open to the nave, but at a lower level to incorporate the east end
of the Crusader crypt and fourth century apse below the summit of the
mountain. The western half of the Crusader crypt is below Barluzzi’s nave.
The ancient stairway down to it is protected by an iron grating in the floor
near the church entrance, and two glazed openings In the floor of the nave
give light to the underground section.